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More confused then ever..triple level cervical fusion

I went today for a second opinion with a Neurosurgeon about having a triple level cervical fusion. The first doctor a Orthopedic spinal reconstruction guy who has 30 years of experience with degree from Northwestern med school, who also is a professor at Northwesterns med school. He told me that i need a triple level cevical fusion. My injury happened 2 years ago and he says that consevative treatment probably wouldnt work. So, today i went to a neurosurgeon who did his residency at John Hopkins and is in charge of neurosurgery at his hopital. He maybe has 10 years experience. He told me that he agrees with the first surgeon but, that i should try consevative treatment first. He also said that i will eventually need the fusion but for now that he thinks consevative treatment first.

I came out of thet visit today more confused than ever.
Do i go with experience or not?

Some body HELP
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi,
I would suggest you to go with experience since the second doctor also says that you may need Cervical fusion as an ultimate treatment. You may be wasting your time and money trying the conservative treatment. Please discuss the complications associated with Cervical fusion with the neurosurgeon before taking a final decision since complications are common with Fusion just like any other surgery especially a spinal surgery. Hope this helps you. Take care and regards!.
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Avatar universal
i have done PT but only for my hands and posture, never focusing exclusively on the neck. they are going to set me up with a TENS unit, which i haven't tried, but basically the neurosurgeon wanted me to get the nerve block before trying anything else
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Avatar universal
Be cautious about the nerve block in your neck.  My neurosurgeon did not recommend it because he has seen too many cases where there was damage done by a poorly placed needle.  Too much important stuff packed tightly into your neck.  An epidural in the lower back is much less dangerous - all your nerves and blood vessels are not so close together down there.
Have you done PT ?  It helped me, but I was not in pain for as long as you.
If it's debilitating maybe surgery makes sense for you.
good luck
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Avatar universal
JMRIZZ, i too have had 2 MRIs and i'm facing my second EMG as the doctors are trying to diagnose the problems in my neck. the neurosurgeon i saw last week recommended a nerve root block to help the problems in my c5 and c6 vertebrae. Have you been able to find any relief? I've been going through this for almost a year and the pain is excruciating and completely debilitating.  
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Avatar universal
Hi I am 42 Female and 3 years ago I had a 3 disc fusion after 2 years of pain and 2 years of being jerked around by workers comp. I was bad for a year after then decided to settle my case in Dec of 2007. (big mistake) I went back to work at a different job in August of 2007 and Sep of 2008 I was in so much pain and was prescribed all these pain meds and muscle relaxers that I still am taking, I am now scheduled for a bone
scan of Left Shoulder and cervical spine and a MRI of Left Shoulder and Cervical Spine.
I am in so much Pain that it is unbearable at times. I have a titanium plate with 8 screws
in it. My neck seems to get stuck at times and it is so loud and painful when it snaps back into place. Just be very careful 3 disc fusion really is not what it seems to be. I was told it puts more stress above and below the fusion and may cause more fusions down the road and I am thinking mine is looking the same way right now.
All my Love to Everyone and I hope everyone is feeling better soon.
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Avatar universal
After 4 years and 3 surgery's and now a spine stimulator that does not work "And gives me rapiid heartbeat at night" over 15 epidurals, facet blocks, IDET, PT and I am considering the same thing!

I have DDD, Stenosis,Heriated disc's at C3/4 thru C6/7 and 3 years ago I had an endoscopic surgery on C3/4, C4/5 that worked great even though I still needed C5/6 to be done. I was great for about 1 year and it all started back! In January 2008 they took a large chunk of arthritic growth at C7 and did a soft fusion "I still don't understand that one" at C6/7 that helped for about 2 weeks with left elbow pain, ring and little finger pain, shoulder and neck pain, that that herination and spurs were causing.

Is the problem heridatary? Did a Grandparent have this also? How bad is your pain? Are you sleeping? Do you still do everything that you did? 5 years ago it started to be a big problem in my back, after PT that fixed it (Yes, PT can help your neck) my neck started to show symptoms.

Then the fun really began! I have been on enough pain meds that my dosage is (no way! How can you function?) And I still have pain that has limited everything that I used to do....

There are major chances with a 3 level cervical fusion! And my primary Orthopidic Doc is Dean of Orthoppidics at a national university and told me I had a 60 to 65% chance that it would help. My other ortho is saying I can't help you, your chronic.

So, I would do everything you can before you consider this! They are making improvements everyday, I am 55, and it's the only viable option I have...

Good luck to you and learn how to mediatate!

I aplogize for the typo's!
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Avatar universal
  I think the younger dr is telling you to go thru the hoops because thats what they are taught- but that really only applie to someone newly injured. If your injury and pain have been continousa for more than 6 months its unlikely that any conservative method will help. I was violently assaulted and had a three level fusion- C4 thru C-7 and four transplanted cadaver discs.  that was 4 and a half years ago.  I felt better at first and then slowly the same symptoms and new different ones appeared.
first they would come and go. Now they come and stay and get worse. I would tell my nuerosurgeon all my symptoms and then I would read his report later and he never mentions the symptoms I'm having.  I have started to write evrything down in a letter to him before I go in and I keep copies. This is a lawsuit with Workmans Comp and documentation is everything.
  finally I told my nuerosurgeon that I just couldn't take it anymore- that I felt like the living dead- there was nothing I could do that didn't aggravate the pain.  That is not living to me.  So finally he ordered another MRI- my next visit he said that the MRI didn't indicate any serious problems.
So I went and requested the radioogists report who read the MRI and I was astonished.  there is disc buldging on the of the discs he worked on with compression on the nerve root bilaterally and there is totally new damage to C-7 / T-1 which wasn't ever a problem and that nerve is crushed as well.
  So I got familiar with looking at xrays and I found the report of the first MRI I had done which proved that C-7 and T-1 were in perfect condition then.  It turns out that with any fusion but especially mutiple level fusion there is a great chance of  damaging the adjacent level disc.  Because once they fuse them they are restricted in motion and the next level down (or up) has to bear a heavier work load.  So now here I am with all these symptoms basically dysfunctional and Comp won't even approve another MRI of the whole spine because it was never mentioned in the initial incident and from my dr's notes it sounds as if I was recovering.  Its a complete nightmare and workmans comp does everything it can to make my life miserable.  they have sentme on 16 IME's to try to prove there is nothing wrong with me.  But there is and everytime they do that they shoot themselves in the foot because the MD always sides with me. But its a battle everyday just to want to even get up and live never mind trying to fight for medical treatment for an injury that was caused by someone else in my workplace with fifteen witnesses.  Its insane.  My best advice to anyone going thru this is DOCUMENT everything.  Get copies of the radiologists reports of your MRI's or X-rays or any other test you have. Put your symtoms in writing and give them to your Dr. and keep a copy for yourself.
lets pray everybody heals'
katwa
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Avatar universal
My story is amazingly similar to yours!  Went to a neurosurgeon from Northwestern this week (Dr. Yapor).  He reccommended a triple cervical fusion.  He said I would have immediate relief of the pain, and I could look forward to a pain free 2008.  Going for a second opinion at Rush in 2 weeks. I have been having problems for two years and I am just tired of dealing with the pain despite medications and "conservative treatment", ie: physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic treatments, cervical injections, ice, heat etc.......  I think you have to have the surgery when you just can't deal with the daily hassle of your pain or in my case the medications!  I just want to get up in the morning and have a normal day without feeling like a zombie from the pain meds.  Please let me know what you decide about the dreaded surgery.
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Avatar universal
I am 1 month post ACDF at C5-6. I tried conservative approach for 6 months, with no relief, in fact, things kept getting worse. As they probably will with you. My opionion is that if it has to be done, it's best to do it as soon as possible. Your body reacts to pain on multi-levels, affecting your whoe life.  Sleep problems, nerves, pain, etc. More stress on your body isn't what you need. Good luck.
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Avatar universal
J_P_  I would not want to venture to tell you what you should do.  I will say that in my experience none of the options worked and I was told in the beginning that they would not, but I had to go through the "steps" as they call it to rule out any other possibilities.  I am now awaiting an appointment with the neueosurgeon to see what the next step will be.  I am now more than a year into this and no relief is found and symptoms are getting more intense.  Best of luck in your decision making.
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Avatar universal
My injuries are to C 3-4, 4-5 & 5-6. The Ortho made me feel comfortable about the surgery and the possible out come but, the neurosurgeon scared the living @#$% out of me. I guess my biggest fear is, will i be worse off after the surgery, also shouldi try consevative treatment even though the ortho said it wouldnt work?
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Avatar universal
I do not know what levels your problems are at, but your symptoms are very similar to mine.  I can tell you that I have disc protrusions and other etiology at C5-6, C6-7, and C7-T1.  I posted previously for some help on deciphering my MRI, but did not hear back on it.  I have had symptoms for a couple years with worsening over the last year.  I pretty much have no days without some sort of pain. I cannot even do housekeeping without increasing my pain in the neck with headaches.  I have had to go through a regimen of 2 MRI's, 2 EMG's, meds, physical therapy, and steroid injection.  None of these have been of help to me.  I am now waiting to see the neurosurgeon again to see what the next step will be.  I would say that you should probably just save time and aggravation and go ahead with the experienced and have the surgery.  Best wishes to whatever you decide.
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Avatar universal
I agree, can you live with the symtoms? and they the chance they will worsen. I had three level ACDF a month ago and dont regret it at all.

GOOD LUCK!
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your reply
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200277 tn?1214663674
i am not a doctor but it sounds like it warrents sugery...............
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Avatar universal
I have pain that runs down my neck into both shoulders down my arms. I have pain between my shoulder blades, pins and needles in my hands and headaches. I also started having tremors in my right hand
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200277 tn?1214663674
what kinda stmptoms are you having??? that would be a big decideing factor!
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